NOVEL WEB Chapter 21: Northwic County
This time, Elon took the royal carriage to Northwic, with Aiden boarding with him as well.
Ten men took care of the carts, while the other twenty took it upon themselves to protect the king.
AHH, yes...
Elon needed no protection.
He would always scream inwardly, as the status and lifestyle of a king were already getting boring.
As Keith, he never loved being praised and served. Perhaps it was because he had lived in poverty all his life due to his family's poor status... Or perhaps it was just his personality, as he couldn't understand why someone who had lived poorly for many years wouldn't enjoy being praised and served later on.
"Maybe I'm just being a dimwit!" He chuckled.
The journey to Northwic spanned fifty kilometers, so it was quite possible to spend up to eight hours on the way. Elon was determined to find iron ore, and all he felt on this adventure was pure fun.
He knew that the mixing process would be the most difficult part of production, yet he took his time to enjoy every moment. From venturing into the stone forest and getting himself into trouble with the arrogant Queen Arya, to paying thirty gold coins to avoid getting sued... He had given orders for the pipe construction, as well as the clay and sand collection, so he hoped everything would be covered by the time they returned from their trip.
Thankfully, over five hundred men were working on-site, which would significantly boost the pace of the work.
"Overall, I believe everything is in place. We just gotta get the damned iron ore and move on to the main job."
...
While they journeyed, Aiden remained completely silent as he sat across from Elon. It was understandable that Aiden wanted to show respect, but this new Elon was not the type to stay quiet for hours without speaking.
"Even if it's a cockroach, I'd talk to it," Elon mused inwardly.
"Ahh, aren't you bored, Aiden?" Elon suddenly asked.
"I'm... I'm not bored, my king," Aiden stammered.
"Set the goddamned kingship aside whenever we are at work. This is the second time I'm warning you, bro," Elon smiled.
"I'm sorry, my king..."
"Ohh, not again!" Elon placed his hands on his forehead and shook his head repeatedly in frustration.
"I'm sorry," Aiden added.
"That word — I hate it too," Elon shot a sharp glance at him.
"Just call me Elon. Anytime. I won't punish you for that. I'm your friend, okay? Sure, I'm a king, but you're going to be my closest friend. What do best friends do?" Elon asked.
However, Aiden was completely clueless about how to answer.
"I... I... I don't really know, my king," he finally said.
"Ah, what a shame. I guess no one makes friends outside of their family here. This place is just full of evil and betrayal, right?" Elon asked.
Once again, Aiden was speechless.
"Fine..." Elon heaved a sigh.
Truly, a talkative king he was.
"Tell me about your family, Aiden," Elon suddenly sat up and asked.
"My family?" Aiden repeated, looking visibly confused.
Truth be told, it wasn't as if Elon didn't know about Aiden's background and personality — he was actually on a mission to change some things about this guy.
Things he wished Aiden never did in the novel.
"I'm the first and only son of my father, Gareth Skyborne. My mother was a mistress, but she died the moment she gave birth to me. My father..."
"He died in the war," Elon interrupted.
Aiden's father was one of the strongest veteran mages in the Salvadorian Army, leading men into battle.
Unfortunately, he was one of the first to die trying to take down Xaven. At the time, Aiden was far away from Salvador, learning an Arcane Art from a master.
Aiden nodded.
"You've got sisters, yes?" Elon smiled.
"Yes, both married to Theran men," Aiden responded.
"Nice enough. Now you're the king's knight. You had a bad past, but now you're doing well. Your sisters too. Theran men are wonderful people," Elon commended.
Aiden didn't say another word but nodded.
"You have a tragic past too, Elon. Your mother died trying to protect you, and you were banished by your father," Aiden said.
"Well, let's not talk about that, friend," Elon quickly ended the conversation.
He really, really didn't want to talk about it.
If he were to judge, the past that haunted him the most was that of his real self — Keith. Elon's past was bad too... he believed.
With several friendly conversations about the projects, talks about Aiden's mastered Arcane Art, and Elon's rifle, Aiden gradually started feeling a bit more comfortable around Elon.
Although there were still notable hesitations, Elon knew he wouldn't be able to strengthen this guy's heart in just one day.
Like that, the journey wasn't boring anymore, and by the time they reached Northwic, they were in good spirits.
The sun was already beginning to set when they arrived at the Count's house, so it was clear they would be spending the night there.
But before that, Elon needed to inform the Count why he had come.
Count Emond quickly stepped out of his house upon hearing of King Elon's arrival. Northwic County might have been wealthier than Salvador, but Elon was still a king — and a king deserved the highest respect from lower rulers.
"Welcome to Northwic County, King Elon. We have heard of your wonderful works since your coronation. You also saved your people in the war with the Negators," Count Emond greeted with a smile.
"Thanks for having me, Count Emond. You are kind," Elon smiled.
Addressing him as a count was the best thing to do. Elon wouldn't want to offend the man when he needed something from his land.
"We have enough livestock, King Elon. But I don't think we need fish at this point. We got a lot from Kingdom Fyn a few days ago," Count Emond said.
"I'm not here for livestock or to sell fish. I'm here for a simple business," Elon stated.
"What could that be, King Elon?" The count became curious, as Salvador had never traded anything other than fish and livestock with Northwic for many years.
"There is a rock somewhere west of your county. We would be using it for some small construction, and I want to buy a lot of it from you," Elon informed him.
Count Emond hesitated for a while, turning to an elderly advisor. After a moment, they seemed to reach a decision.
Count Emond sighed.
"I might not have helped your late father in the war, but we were good trading partners. Those grey rocks are useless to us. In fact, we were planning to destroy them to build a statue of our god before you arrived."
Elon's smile widened upon hearing this.
"You can have all of the rocks, King Elon. But..."
Of course, nothing came for free.
"Yes. I know those rocks would help you in your strange constructions, so I wouldn't just let you have them without heating your blood," Count Emond chuckled.
Elon forced a smile.
"What's the job, Count Emond?" Elon asked, exhaling deeply.
"There is a gigantic black bear tormenting my county. It has killed up to twenty men and will keep killing as long as it lives."
"So you want me to kill it?" Elon cut to the chase.
"Right. I want you to kill it and bring its head to me. If you can do that, I might even give you my youngest daughter to marry," Count Emond promised.
"There's no need for that, Count Emond. I just need an idea of where this bear lives."
"The forest dividing us from Thera," the advisor replied.
"Noted. I'll bring the head right away."
Just like that, Elon spoke confidently and left the grand hall of the count.
"Where does he think he is doing?" One man on the high table asked confused. "He didn't even ask for a weapon.
"Idiot! Can't you see that brown stuff tied to his back? It was what he used to destroy the Negators..."
"That big golden rice that comes of it is capable of bursting a man's skull to pieces."
"Winter has finally come for that bastard bear."